


I Love You Three Thousand

by tonysangels



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, let's pretend endgame didn't happen, the avengers live happily ever after and they're all in the tower
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 13:29:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18874153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tonysangels/pseuds/tonysangels
Summary: A universe where Tony Stark gets the happy ending.





	1. Morgan H. Stark

**Author's Note:**

> Just a few stories because I love and miss Tony Stark.

“She’s so…tiny.”

It’s the middle of the night, and after hours of labor, his hands being crushed by Pepper’s as she pushed, his ears ringing after the screaming and crying, Tony can’t take his eyes off the tiny pink person laying in the nursery.

Tony let Pepper go to sleep. She definitely wasn’t going to argue, especially after such an exhausting night. She had smiled at her daughter, then vowed to never let her forget that Mommy spent twelve hours in labor.

She is  _so_ small. Pink. It doesn’t feel real, seeing her swaddled up behind the glass. But that little girl is  _his._ The tiniest little thing, only five pounds and five ounces, but she’s his little girl.  _His whole heart and soul._

Tony feels a hand on his shoulder. Rhodey smiles when he sees pink blankets and full, dark hair. Even at first glance, he can tell which one’s Tony’s girl.

“Man, she’s got your hair, too.”

“She’s perfect,” Tony breathes.

“She is,” Rhodey replies, “when do I get to hold little Miss Morgan?”

“Wait your turn, Honeybear, I haven’t even gotten to holding her yet.”

Rhodey laughs, pulling his best friend into a hug. Tony can’t stop smiling, so much so that his cheeks hurt. It is the happiest day of his life. 

Later in the night, Tony returns to Pepper, crawling beside her in the hospital bed. Their bodies melt into each other, and Pepper sighs in content when she feels Tony’s arms wrap around her. He presses a kiss to her forehead.

“She is beautiful, Pep.” He can barely hold back tears at this point (Rhodey had to stop him from crying outside the nursery, too). “God, you did amazing.”

“I guess I did a pretty good job.” She winks, laughing to see her husband rolling her eyes. 

They lay in silence for a while, with Tony absentmindedly running his fingers through the golden strands of Pepper’s hair. There’s a bit of twisting in his stomach, and his fiddling with his glasses for a while. Pepper squeezes his hand.

“You’re going to be okay.”

Tony swallows thickly. “I need to be perfect for her. I’m  _not_ messing this up.”

“You don’t need to be perfect, you just need to be there for her. The rest will fall into place.” She kisses his forehead. “Promise.”

“I will be there.” Tony lays back down, letting Pepper rest on his chest and fall asleep again. He spends the entire night thinking about Morgan.

~

“Okay, little miss. I’m begging you, please keep those stats up for the car seat test. I’ll buy you a brand new car if you do.”

Pepper shakes her head as she packs her duffel. “You can’t keep promising her these things. She’ll be spoiled.”

“Pep, you’re making us lose focus.” Tony returns his gaze to the child, whose bright eyes aren’t exactly focusing on him or anything in particular. “Okay. Good heart rate, right?. Keep breathin’, okay? Stay focused.”

The nurse chuckles a little as she places the child in the car seat. Ninety minutes seems to last ages, and all Tony can do is sit and watch her. 

Her hair somehow seems longer in the week they’ve been at the hospital. He is absolutely obsessed with her hair, how long it already is. He makes a mental note to go shopping for clips and ribbons when they go home.

Morgan is wearing an adorable pink onesie that Happy picked up from the gift store. “Daddy’s girl” written in bright lettering, and Tony took about a million pictures of the her wearing it. The onesie was adorable earlier, but now all he can focus on is the rising and falling of her chest. Her breathing is supposed to be normal for ninety minutes, and if she can’t do it, they have to wait another day.

She’s tiny, but she’s strong. Before Tony even realizes, ninety minutes pass. He has to force himself to breathe again. It is a relief. His baby is going home with him. He can barely contain his excitement in getting the car seat set up. He presses his lips to Pepper’s, giddy like a kid in a candy store. 

The days only get happier and happier.

~

Miss Morgan H. Stark is perfect. Every time Tony thinks he can’t love her anymore, she proves him wrong every single time.

The first month, Tony barely sleeps. He and Pepper are supposed to be on rotation for sleeping, but he can’t resist sneaking into the nursery to see what she’s doing. Every single move, every single little gurgle or smile, every time she blinks, he doesn’t want to miss it.

His phone is filled with the same sets of photos. His favorites are Pepper and Morgan together, with the child laying on her mother’s chest. It looks like a painting, something that should be hung up in the Louvre. He takes twenty more pictures with different angles, just to keep the memory safe.

Two months into the routine now, Tony thinks he has it down. He doesn’t mind losing some sleep—hell, he was doing it all the time before Morgan or Pepper. But somehow, laying on the couch with Morgan laying across his chest, he can feel the fatigue finally setting in.

“FRIDAY,” Tony calls out, “set a timer for… 10 minutes.”

“Would you like to me call Ms. Potts, boss?”

Tony adjusts himself so that Morgan is safely in his arms before settling down and closing his eyes. “No, no, this is her scheduled sleeping time. I just need to, uh, close my eyes. I’ll be good.”

Morgan babbles unintelligibly, and Tony chuckles a little. “Don’t want me to sleep, huh? You’re pretty selfish, kiddo.”

The child giggles slightly at the sound of her father’s voice, only further warming Tony’s heart. The man sits up a bit, holding her up to his gaze. “You’re too silly. This is a no-nonsense area. Your mom is the CEO of Stark Industries, kid. You can’t mess around in this place.”

Morgan is giggling uncontrollably now as her father makes ridiculous faces and carries her around the living room, rambling about her mother and her status at Stark Industries. Her tiny little fingers grip on Tony’s glasses as he speaks, but he doesn’t mind. Pepper can’t hide the smile on her face when she wakes up and sees the two brunettes pacing around the penthouse together.

Every day is perfect.

~

“Alright, little miss. You got the standing part.” Rhodey stands next to Morgan, feet lined up together. “After this, it’s easy. One step after another.”

Morgan gazes up at the lieutenant, brows furrowed together in confusion. Rhodey gestures to Tony and Pepper, who are just across the way at the couch. Tony’s got special glasses today, eagerly recording every second of his daughter’s first steps. He made sure to design them in time to get high quality footage, knowing that he’s going to watch this every day for a month. 

“Mom and Pops are waiting for you kid.” Rhodey offers his hand. “Wanna give it a try with Uncle Honeybear?”

Morgan smiles, taking his hand. Rhodey stands behind her, taking both her hands as they slowly make their way across the room. Slow and steady, she makes her way, tiny steps growing more confident as she lets go of Rhodey’s hands and pauses. 

Everyone in the penthouse holds their breath. 

Morgan confidently steps forward, stumbling only slightly before finally reaching her parents, who are already cheering. Tony throws Morgan on his shoulders, running around the penthouse in celebration. 

The video of Morgan goes viral, and the happy family goes out for ice cream. Tony and Pepper can’t stop smiling.

~

Pepper loves how eager Tony is to give Morgan what she wants. Snacks? Always prepared. Toys? An endless supply. He can’t help it; the toddler has him wrapped around her chubby little fingers.

Despite all this, she’s a little hesitant to leave them alone for a weekend.

“I’m a phone call away,” Pepper reminds Tony as she packs her bags, “Seriously, one call and I’ll be back here—”

Tony scoffs. “Sweetheart, we will be okay. I promise. Have you no faith in us?”

Pepper rolls her eyes, kissing both of her favorite brunettes on the forehead. “Be good. I mean it.”

Morgan giggles softly, reaching out to her mother for extra kisses. Pepper can’t resist, taking the child into her arms and squeezing tight. She whispers something into Morgan’s ear, and now both of them giggling suspiciously. 

“Hey, secrets aren’t allowed in this house.” Tony wraps his arms around both of them. “That’s not fair.”

There’s a final around of hugs and kisses before Pepper has to rush out the door, leaving the mischievous duo alone. Morgan eagerly runs to her room, pulling her father behind her. She leads him to the table, and Tony joins stuffed animals and action figures for tea time.

“Pinky up,” Morgan reminds Tony. She pokes his hand, and Tony gasps.

“I’m so sorry, Princess Morgan.” He hangs his head in shame. “Can you forgive your old man?”

Morgan giggles and pours him another cup of tea. “Silly, silly, silly.”

Tony can’t help but smile. She is absolutely perfect.

~

It’s late at night in the lab, but Tony tinkers away anyway. The clock reads 3:45 AM, and he can’t remember the last time he’s eaten. He steps out of the lab trying to be as quiet as possible as he moves across the house. His heart nearly stops to see Morgan sitting at the counter in the kitchen.

“Shit—”

Morgan laughs. “Shit.”

“Hey now. Only mommy and daddy can say that.”

This only sparks a mischievous look in her eyes. “Shit.”

Tony chuckles and sighs, sitting down next to her at the counter. “You better have a good explanation for being up at 4AM, little miss.”

“I’m not tired,” Morgan insists, “I’m hungry.”

“We’ll have to fix that, huh?” Tony starts pulling ingredients from the fridge. The child looks curiously at the variety of food. Tony starts whisking eggs, milk, and flour together, and Morgan grabs chocolate chips from the cupboard.

The pre-schooler is too short to see over the counter, so Tony grabs a stool for her. He kisses her forehead, brushing her hair out of the way so she can pour chocolate chips into the pancake mix. Knowing that he won’t say no, she pours  _way_ too many chocolate chips.

“You’re gonna give your old man diabetes,” Tony says, nudging her a little, “don’t you care about my health?”

Morgan giggles. “I can eat them all then!”

“Nice try, little miss.”

Making the pancake mix is easy. But they’re so full of chocolate chips, a little too big since they’re both hungry, so the kitchen is a bit of a mess by the time there are any successful pancakes made. Morgan doesn’t mind, happily eating pancakes that are far too sweet for a pre-schooler to be having in the middle of the night. But Tony can’t resist that smile, so she can have all the chocolate chips she wants.

“They’re pretty good, right?”

“I think Mommy makes better pancakes.” 

Tony’s incredulous. “I put like, half a pound of chocolate in these pancakes, and you’re telling me Mommy’s are better?”

Morgan braces herself for Tony to scoop her up and bring her to her room, tickling her until she’s breathless. Despite the sugar, her eyes are heavy from the food and being tucked into bed. 

“Alright. It’s bed time for real now.” Tony kisses her forehead. “You better get to bed real quick. Your mom’s gonna kick my you-know-what if she knows how much chocolate I just fed you.”

“I’m not sleepy,” Morgan insists with a yawn, “I mean it.”

“Don’t care if you’re not tired, go to bed.” Tony tucks her stuffed animals beside her. “Even your toys are tired.”

He’s about to leave the room when Morgan reaches for his hand. “Daddy?”

“What’s up, buttercup?”

“I love you three thousand.” She squeezes his hand. Her little fingers grip his own, and it takes a minute for him to respond. His heart is fucking bursting.

“Three thousand, huh?” He squeezes her hand back. “That’s  _crazy_. Tell you what, I love you even more.”

Morgan giggles, which is even more adorable now that her eyes are heavy and the squeeze on his fingers is getting fainter. He presses his lips to her forehead one more time.

“I love you,” he whispers, even though she’s sleeping now, “I love you three thousand.”

And he does. He loves her three thousand, three million, three fucking  _billion._


	2. The Best Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgan wants her dad to have the best birthday ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Endgame, but like everyone's happy at the end.

Morgan Stark loves chocolate chip pancakes, tea parties, hide and seek, cheese pizza, and most of all, birthday parties.

It’s pretty common fact already, but her dad is the  _king_ of throwing the best parties. She’s seen older pictures of birthdays she couldn’t remember, the last birthday she had was a blast, and she just  _knew_ she had to make it up to him.

So, the week before her father’s birthday, she asks Pepper if she can round up the team and meet with her in the play room. A _top secret_  meeting.

Pepper smiles as she’s doing the dishes. “Top secret? What are you up to, little miss?”

Morgan glances over her shoulder before going up on her tip toes to reach her mother’s ear. “It’s for Daddy’s birthday.”

Pepper laughs. “Okay, sweetheart. We’ll have a top secret meeting about—”

“You have to be quiet!” Morgan hisses, covering her mom’s mouth, “if he hears, it won’t be a surprise!”

~

It’s comical to see grown adults gathered in Morgan’s play room. Steve, Nat and Thor are sat at the tea table, knees pulled up to their chins since the chairs are far too small for them. Bruce, Clint, and Rhodey are on the floor, settled on a colorful rug and surrounded by stuffed animals and action figures. Pepper and Happy stake their claim on the bean bag chairs. Peter is the only one who gets to sit on the floor next to her. Morgan instructs everyone to sit down so she could stand tall. The little brunette has fashioned a make-shift podium out of books and blocks, standing before the team with colorful scribbles in her hands.

“So, it’s Daddy’s birthday next week,” she begins, “and I need help to make sure he has the best surprise party _ever_.” She emphasizes the last word, bringing a smile to everyone’s face.

“I was thinking we have cheeseburgers and pizza for the party,” Morgan continues, “and Daddy really loves coffee, so maybe we can have coffee cake. And ice cream cake, just in case anyone wants that, too.”

Pepper and Happy have to stifle their laughter. Tony wasn’t really one for ice cream cake—Morgan was the one who couldn’t get enough of it. Morgan takes note of the giggling in the corner of the room and stands up straighter. 

“Mommy, Happy.” Her glare is the cutest sight in the entire world. “I’m not done yet.”

Pepper feigns a straight face. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Go on.  Happy is being rude over here.” Happy babbles in disbelief, only to be shushed by Rhodey. Morgan smiles, and Rhodey winks. He loves that little girl more than anything.

“We need lots of balloons, and the bots want to wear party hats. They told me.” Morgan looks over her team. “Daddy likes to have tea parties and play hide and seek with me, so we should do that before having cake and opening presents.

“I have a plan,” she says, “so everyone listen up. FRIDAY, take notes so I don’t forget, but don’t tell Daddy.”

“You got it, little miss.”

“Bruce, Steve, and Thor, we’re going to make the cake. Clint and Natasha, we’re going to pick out decorations. Mommy, Happy, and Uncle Honeybear, we’re going to get the presents.” She glances over at Peter. “And Pete, we’re going to make Daddy birthday breakfast!”

Everyone smiles. For a five year old, she’s pretty organized. Not a single detailed missed. She really does take after Tony.

“This is top secret,” Morgan reminds them sternly, “Daddy works hard, and this needs to be perfect.”

There’s a silent, mutual agreement among them. Tony deserved this now more than ever.

~

Tony knows when Morgan is scheming. It’s adorable, seeing her trying to be secretive. One day in the lab, she brings Peter with him to take notes on what Tony would like for birthday breakfast and present ideas. Peter really does try his best to be discreet in taking notes into his phone, but Morgan’s questions are just a little bit too obvious.

She pokes him, opening her arms so Tony picks her up. She kisses his cheek. “Good morning, Daddy.”

“Hey, little miss.” He turns to Peter, who’s bright red and smiling nervously. “Good to see you, Pete. What are you guys up to?”

“N-nothin, Mr. Stark,” Peter lies, “Just hanging out with Morgan. Pepper asked me to take her to the park later today, but she came to talk to you.”

They’re _totally_ scheming, but he knows better than to ruin their plans. He indulges in their scheme, continuing to be oblivious.

Tony smiles at Morgan, who nods at Peter before turning to her dad. “Okay, Daddy. If you could eat anything you wanted for breakfast, what would you eat?”

He smirks. The real answer is burgers and fries, but he has a feeling that’s not the answer she’s looking for. “I’d say...chocolate chip pancakes. Definitely some bacon and eggs. The pancakes  _need_ to have whipped cream. And plenty of coffee.”

“Okay. I have another question.” Morgan glances at Peter, making sure he’s typed everything onto his phone before continuing their birthday schemes. “What are some things you really want right now?”

Ah, yes. The birthday present question. 

“Things that I need...hmm...” Tony lifts Morgan up to her shoulders, cherishing her giggles as they pace the room together. “I have no idea what I could need in the world other than a couple of my favorite kids interrupting my lab time...”

Peter laughs gently. “There’s gotta be something you need, Mr. Stark.”

“Alright, you got me.” He sets Morgan down on the stool. “I need pajamas and socks. Anything else would be a nice surprise.” 

He winks as he says the last word, leaving Morgan giggling mischievously. Morgan stands on the chair carefully, kissing her dad’s cheek. Now that she and her partner in crime have enough information, it’s on to the next part of her plan.

~

The shopping cart is overflowing with birthday party decorations. 

Morgan insists on making sure everyone in the Tower knows it’s her dad’s birthday, and they need decorations for  _all_ the floors. Clint and Natasha try to convince her that the lobby and the penthouse are the only places that should be decorated, but who’s going to say no when an adorable little girl is pouting?

And that’s how the trio spends the day at the store with two carts, with Clint and Nat trying to peak over the carts as their leader takes them all over the place. She knows there will be multitude of guests, so she insists that getting extra birthday hats is better than not having enough. 

“Your dad’s a lucky guy,” Nat says with a smile, “I’ve never seen anyone work this hard for a birthday party.

Morgan beams. “Do you think he’ll like it?”

“He’s going to love it,” Nat replies. She ruffles her hair, and Morgan, growing more excited, continues her search for the perfect party decorations. Next on the list: streamers.

Clint points at a section in the store with Iron Man decorations. Iron Man plates, party hats, napkins, balloons, streamers, gift bags, and wrapping paper. Nat rolls her eyes, but she smiles. It’s over the top, but it’s perfect for Tony.

“Hey, little miss. Did you see this section yet?” 

She runs back to the sound of Clint’s voice, gasping when sees the array of gold and red decorations, all dedicated to her father. 

They buy out the entire Iron Man section.

Later that afternoon, Morgan continues her shopping endeavors with Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy. Tony had insisted that nobody get him anything for his birthday, but no one was going to obey that rule. He saved the whole universe—he deserves at least one gift for that.

Morgan is in Rhodey’s arms as they stroll around a fancier store; she grew tired from another round of intense birthday adventures. Uncle Honeybear was more than willing to carry the little girl in search of presents. 

“Daddy said he only needed socks and pajamas,” Morgan says, “but I want to get him something else.”

“What did you have in mind, kiddo?”

“I think his lab is boring,” she replies, “I think we should put up pictures in the lab. We need fancy picture frames, first.”

Rhodey nods. “That sounds like a great idea. I’ll ask your mom and Happy if we can get pictures of everyone and the team, too.”

“What are you getting for Daddy?” 

“I’m not sure yet,” Rhodey replies, “what do you think we should get him?”

Morgan shrugs. “Daddy will like anything you get him. He loves you, Mommy, and Happy more than anything in the whole world. You were his family before me.”

Rhodey smiles. He knows exactly what his gift to Tony will be. He sets her down, letting her explore the store. The trio is a little bit speechless, unable to control their smiles. Morgan always knew exactly what to say. 

~

Morgan needs an extra tall stool to stand next the men who are helping with the birthday cake. They had just returned from buying an ice cream cake, complete with cookies and cream ice cream and fudge brownie layers. Just looking at the cake was enough to rot your teeth, but Morgan insisted. It just so happened that it was her favorite kind of ice cream cake too, but that wasn’t why they bought it. It was for Tony, of course.

But not everyone liked ice cream cake, so now her latest adventure was baking a cake. She wanted it to be a three layer cake, and she asked her mother to find a recipe for a cake Tony would like. Pepper convinced Morgan that her father didn’t need anymore coffee, and that it would be better to make a vanilla cake instead. After much convincing and consulting her fellow bakers, she agreed.

Now, she’s sat in the kitchen with a world renowned scientist, a super soldier, and a God of thunder, reading out the measurements for the ingredients. 

“Maybe Uncle Bruce should read ingredients,” Morgan says, handing the list to him, “I wanna help with the baking. You can read more than me.”

Bruce smiles. “Let’s read it together for Steve and Thor.”

Together, they’re sounding out some of the harder words, listing off what needs to go in what bowl or pan. Steve and Thor are patient, cheering as she finishes reading a step or sounds out a complicated word.  _Fahrenheit_ had her stumped for a moment, but it got easier as the list carried on. 

“You must be the smartest one at school,” Steve says. Morgan hides her smile, but she nods. “I knew it. You’re just like Tony.”

She hears it all the time. She loves hearing it, knowing that she’s like him. Knowing that she’s smart like him, funny like him, caring like him. She’s proud to be like him. 

“I’m also the strongest,” she boasts, “I can almost go across the way on the monkey bars. Not everyone can do that.”

Thor gasps. “You’re probably stronger than me, then!”

“I am.” Morgan beams at him.

Thor laughs heartily in response. She is just like Tony in every way. 

~

"Make sure to  _actually_ go to bed,” Morgan says. 

“I should be telling you the same thing, little miss.” Tony pulls the covers over her. “No more late night trips to the lab. I mean it this time.”

“You said that last time.”

Tony kisses her forehead. “But this time, I  _really_ mean it.” 

“If I can’t go to the lab, you actually have to sleep,” Morgan says, “especially tonight.”

He smirks. “Any particular reason?”

“Just sleep, pretty please? With a cherry on top?” 

“Well, now that you mentioned the cherry on top, I have to sleep.” He presses another kiss to her forehead. “Go to bed, or I really will sell all your toys.”

The next morning, the child wakes up early as FRIDAY informs her that Peter is waiting for her at the door. She tiptoes past her parents’ bedroom, greeting her partner in crime. 

Peter Parker was her favorite person in the world (besides Pepper and Tony, of course). For as long as she could remember, Peter was always there for her. Babysitter, partner in crime, brother—she loved him. 

Of course, Peter would do just about anything for her. After coming back from the snap, he promised he’d watch out for her. Once she was older, he gave her his phone number, telling her to call whenever she wanted; he’d be there right away. And if that meant going to Stark-Potts Tower at five in the morning to make pancakes, then so be it.

Morgan immediately jumped into Peter’s arms, tackling him in a hug and thanking him again for coming so early in the morning. 

“It’s nothing,” Peter says, “anything for my favorite girl.”

They’re a perfect team, with Morgan using her improved reading skills to list off ingredients while Peter measures everything out. He lets her do some of the easier steps, like adding salt to the eggs or adding chocolate chips to the pancakes. 

Soon the kitchen is smelling like a bed and breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, and bacon are beautifully arranged on the table, and the duo takes a moment to appreciate their work. They grab two plates, loading up the pancakes and whipped cream. Peter puts a candle in one of the stacks of pancakes, quickly lighting it before going into the bedroom.

Tony and Pepper are already awake. Despite Peter and Morgan’s efforts to stay quiet, the clanging of cookware and the hiss of the frying pans were hard to hide. They meant well, and that was enough for Tony.

Sure enough, the partners in crime burst into the room singing happy birthday, holding pancakes with an ridiculous amount of whipped cream and chocolate. The smile on Morgan’s face is enough to make his heart burst.

Morgan says to make a wish; he only smiles, blowing out the candles and giving her a hug. He was always wishing for something, but this year, he doesn’t feel the need to. Everything he has right now is a wish come true.

He knew Morgan was planning a surprise, but he was definitely not expecting a five year old to be this meticulous in her planning. Waking up to the penthouse completely covered in Iron Man balloons and streamers was probably one of the funniest surprises to see so far.

“You should see the lobby,” Pepper says as she sips her coffee, “She made Happy help her decorate the whole place.”

“She’s really excited,” Peter adds, “she’s got a whole day planned.”

“Isn’t that something,” Tony hums, trying to hide his smile. 

 _I’ve got the best kid in the whole world,_ he thinks to himself,  _she’s throwing me the best party ever. She really is my kid._

_~_

After an eventful day of tea parties, an hide-and-seek mission that took place all over the tower, and stuffing their faces with burgers and pizza, it’s time for presents. 

Rhodey gives him a framed picture of the two of them at MIT. They’ve both got tired smiles, definitely taken after a morning of staying up all night to study. 

“Morgan said you needed to spruce up the lab,” Rhodey says, “so I thought I’d frame a picture one of the roommates took of us. The one before the mechanics final we took.”

Tony pulls his best friend into a hug, grasping him tight. “You are too sentimental, Honeybear. You shouldn’t have.”

Happy gives him an old watch. He’d gone through some of the inventory of the Tower, finding a watch with the initials "EJ." There were so many things that were tucked away into storage, mostly things from Howard that Tony didn’t want to have laying around, and so finding something of Jarvis’s surprised him. He had the watch cleaned up and everything in time for today. Tony recognizes the watch right away, staring at in awe.

“Holy hell, Happy, how did you get this?” 

“It was, uh, somewhere in storage,” Happy says, “I figured Jarvis would want you to have it. Don’t get all teary on me, I mean it.”

Happy feigns annoyance, rolling his eyes when Tony hugs him, but still, he holds him tight. He deserved to have that.

Pepper is next, holding a black box.

Tony smiles. “If this is a dirty gift, we should save it for the bedroom.”

Pepper laughs and rolls her eyes. “Just open it, Tony. Happy birthday.” 

It’s an old battered helmet, the one he’d been using after snap to send back home. It’s polished now, a little different than the last time he’s seen it. There’s a button at the top, and when he presses it, various images of their family glow from the eyes of the helmet. The first photos are ultrasounds taken during Pepper’s pregnancy, followed by Morgan at the hospital, Morgan’s first day home, pictures of the three of them together. 

“I had help from FRIDAY in programming,” Pepper explains, “it was hard to keep a secret, since you’re in the lab so often—”

He interrupts her with a kiss, pulling her close. She chuckles a little afterwards, pressing her forehead on his. “Happy birthday, Tony.”

“My turn!” Morgan pipes up, holding up her gift. It’s wrapped in Iron Man wrapping paper, putting a smile on Tony’s face. “One more gift then, it’s time for cake.”

“Alright, little miss. This better be the best gift out of all of them.” He takes Morgan into his lap, and together, they unwrap the present.

The first set of gifts are Iron Man pajamas with matching socks. There's a miniature set with it, so that they could both match. The next one is a surprise to Tony. It’s a drawing the two of them. They’re both in the iconic suits, flying around New York. There’s handwriting, messy, but it says “I love you 3000.”

“Me and Uncle Honeybear wanted to make the lab look pretty,” Morgan explains, “so I drew us together. Everyone says we’re the same, so I drew this. We’re both Iron Man. I want to be a hero like you.”

 _Hero like you._  

The air leaves Tony’s lungs. All he can do is hug her tight, tight enough to make her giggle and squirm out of his arms. She throws her arms around him this time, giving him the tiniest kiss on the cheek before running to the lab, only letting Peter follow her. Tony smiles as she leaves, still speechless.

Morgan returns with the bots from the lab behind her. She helps the bots carefully get the cake to her father, who’s teary eyed at the sight of his old bots with his little girl. The damn bots have been with him since his MIT days, and it’s odd now, seeing someone so tiny and young with the old machinery. They’re even wearing Iron Man party hats; he would be lying if he said it didn’t make him cry. 

They’re singing to him, but he can’t really hear. There are so many smiling, teary-eyed faces, and everything is starting to blur. He can’t help but let out laugh a little despite the tears in his eyes. His heart is bursting at the seems, and he’s just wishing the moment doesn’t end. He could freeze life like this, a picture perfect moment forever.

“...happy birthday, dear Daddy, happy birthday to you!” Morgan carefully holds out the cake to him. “Make a wish!”

Everything Tony could wish for has already come true. His family. His friends. The fact that he wakes up and the world is quiet, not bombarded with chaos. Every single wish of his has come true.

So he wishes that this moment will last forever. He wishes that this feeling will never go away, he wishes that he can have this family forever. He wishes the peace is actually here to stay this time, that his family is safe from now on.  He wishes that he’s been a good role model to her, and he’ll keep being that for her. He wishes that Morgan will smile like this all the time, even if he’s not there.

_Hint: his wish comes true._


End file.
